We’re excited to be participating in this year’s VPPPA Safety and Health Conference in Nashville, TN. The 29th Annual show will take place on August 26th – 29th, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in the heart of Nashville. Come by and check out booth #1007 in the exhibit hall. We’ll have product demonstrations, prizes and give-aways.

The four-day conference offers attendees countless opportunities to network, learn and advance as leaders in occupational safety and health. Features include: two full days of workshops addressing current safety, health and environmental issues; inspiring keynote and general session speakers; the VPPPA Expo 2013 with vendors showcasing their cutting-edge products and services; and evening receptions and other social activities that provide the perfect setting for attendees to network and exchange best practices.

VPPPA conference participants represent a wide range of individuals involved in safety and health. Safety and health managers, employee safety team members, industrial hygienists, union representatives, consultants, environmental health specialists, human resource managers and government agency representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Department of Energy (DOE) all come together for networking and education. Click here for for registration info.

We all know that every plant requires preventative maintenance to stay healthy and productive, but how often do you test and clean your overcurrent protective devices? Outdated and neglected overcurrent devices can adversely affect results of an arc flash study.  Electrical equipment that is “out of sight, out of mind” is often unattended for long periods, which could result in catastrophic failures. Preventative maintenance is important to maintain a healthy and productive plant and is critical in the protection of personnel and equipment.

Consider this; the IEEE paper Protective Devices Maintenance as it Applies to the Arc Flash Hazard states “several studies have shown that low-voltage power circuit breakers which are not maintained within a 5 year period, have an average of 50% failure rate.”  The same document goes on to state “industry standards for, as well as manufacturers of, low-voltage power circuits recommend a general inspection and lubrication after a specified number of operations or at least once per year, whichever comes first.”

Section 130.5 of the 2012 edition of  NFPA 70E Handbook for Electrical Safety in the Workplace states “the arc flash hazard analysis must also take in to consideration the design of the overcurrent protective device and its opening time, including its condition of maintenance.”

inoLECT’s Field Service Engineers and Technicians are trained and ready to ensure your protective devices operate correctly.  Call us today to schedule your over-current protective device maintenance.

We’re exhibiting at the Saudi Aramco Global Reliability Forum today and tomorrow, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston, TX. If you’re in the area, stop by booth #129 for prizes, give-aways and to see our new Remote Racking product, the inoRAC2. This product is the latest in the inoRAC family of Remote Racking solutions. It’s boasts a high-definition color touchscreen, with easy to follow directions for operation, as well as position indicators for efficient racking. Read more about it here.